The Pros and Cons of Fake Dating
by guacamole lover
Summary: Annabeth's expectations for Valentine's Day were simple: lie in bed, avoid people, and eat chocolate all day. She didn't expect to be banned from her apartment, or to run into famous YouTuber Percy Jackson, and to somehow ignite the wrath of his fans—all seventy million of them. How do they turn it around? Of course, faking a relationship is the only solution….
1. Chapter 1

Being single had taught Annabeth one important thing: Shopping on Valentine's Day sucked.

It was bad enough that she was in Target at six thirty in the morning (and even more pathetic that she had nowhere else to go) but the endless aisles of chocolate, flowers, cards, and teddy bears were enough to activate her gag reflex.

She wanted to be home. She wanted her sweet, compassionate roommate to wake her up with a gentle voice, a plate of homemade breakfast, and a promise that she could stay in bed all day.

Unfortunately, her roommate Thalia had ripped the covers off at dawn, yelled that Annabeth needed to get out and experience life on this 'special day,' and then slipped an ice cube down her back when Annabeth refused to move.

When she couldn't get her to budge, Thalia had employed her boyfriend Luke—who happened to be waiting outside the apartment—to drag Annabeth from bed and toss her outside, where she was left with nothing but three one dollar bills and a stale piece of toast.

For a moment, Annabeth had been swept up in the giddy delight of Luke—tall, blonde, goddamned gorgeous Luke—actually touching her that she stood, motionless, trying to regain the ability to breathe. Then the door had slammed in her face, leaving Luke and Thalia on one side and she on the other.

As reality sunk in, she began wishing that Thalia got mono before the 'special day' was over.

Target was mostly empty—the only signs of life were a half asleep cashier and two pre-teen girls sitting at the mini Starbucks tucked in the corner of the store, headphones on and eyes glued to their phones.

Annabeth stumbled through the store with the grace of a half-dead rhinoceros. She was tired, hungry, still dressed in pajamas, and had nothing but three dollars clutched in one hand—not even enough to buy a cup of coffee.

The only thing that kept her awake was her desire to buy a card and deliver a _go-to-hell _valentine to Thalia. She had three dollars and a vengeful mind: not much could stop her.

Except the overpriced Target marchandise.

"Four dollars?" Annabeth exclaimed at the row of lacy cards. "You're all _four freaking dollars?" _

She grabbed a frilly pink card and waved it at the security camera overhead. "Hey, assholes!" she shouted. "It's a piece of paper and ribbon. I could buy three meals at Taco Bell for that money!"

A voice floated through the store, and for a crazy moment, she thought the security camera was responding to her rant.

"—special Saturday video for all my viewers. Usually I don't get out of bed before noon, but I've been banned from the apartment by my roommate. I wanted to preserve my innocence, so I didn't ask why, but I'm sure a certain Piper Mclean would know the answer!"

Annabeth paused, listening.

"—no idea what I'm going to do, so be prepared for some random stuff. How do you guys feel about a hotdog dissection?"

A young man appeared at the end of the aisle, filming himself with his phone as he walked backward.

"In response to MagikLouie's comment, I would have to say no," he said as he neared Annabeth. "I don't believe in love at first sight. Those movie plots are so overrated, I don't even know why—"

His eyes widened as he passed Annabeth. He stopped walking and pointed at her. "Hey, we have matching pajamas!"

The stranger was tall, with messy black hair, olive skin, and a cheerful grin that didn't belong anywhere near seven a.m. He looked around her age, twenty or so.

She was momentarily distracted by his eyes—bright, sea green eyes that gleamed like they were sharing a private joke—and had to blink several times to focus on his words.

"Matching...pajamas?" she repeated incredulously.

He gestured to her clothes—a white tank top and fuzzy pajama pants covered in snickerdoodle cookie designs—and then to his—a white shirt and pajama pants with chocolate chip cookies on them.

"We're like pajama twins!" he said, and then pointed his phone at her. "Guys, what do you think? Pajama twins for life?"

With the screen now facing her, she was able to see the stream of comments flooding in, saying things like _Love U Percy _and _OMG new video on Valentine's Day _and _Why is Blondie just staring? Percy Jackson just said they were PJ buddies!_

Annabeth tore her eyes away from the screen. "Percy Jackson?" she said. "Is that you?"

"In the flesh. Actually, I'm livestreaming right now, so you get to see both me online and in person. If I weren't as humble as I am, I would call you lucky."

More comments were popping up on the screen.

_Is she joking?_

_Tell me she's not serious….is she?_

_HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO PERCY JACKSON IS?_

_Freaking dumb blondes. _

The number of subscribers was listed below: 66 million.

_Sixty six million._

Of course. She's wearing pajamas, looks like a dead zombie, hasn't even bothered to, like, brush her hair in a week—and she's on live video in front of millions, standing next to a famous YouTuber.

She covered her eyes with a hand and groaned. "I hate life."

Percy didn't seem to hear her. "These are four dollars?" he exclaimed at the row of cards. "That's insane!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Well, life sucks," she said shortly.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Someone's grumpy this morning," he said. "Did your boyfriend forget to buy you flowers?"

"I don't have a boyfriend." Annabeth's temper, already short, was beginning to flare. "If I'm mad, then it's because my roommate kicked me out for the day, I have no coffee, only three dollars, and I'm being harassed by an annoying, overrated celebrity I've never heard of in Target!"

The camera was still on her. She didn't care.

"My deepest apologies for being a bitch," she added sarcastically. She stuffed the card in her pocket—damn no money, Thalia was _getting _hate mail—and stalked away from the internet star.

It was only after she reached the checkout line that she realized she had just told millions of people that a) she was single; b) had nowhere to go; and c) had yelled at and insulted their favorite celebrity.

It would be a miracle if she made it through the day alive.

As if on cue, a voice cut through her thoughts.

"Oh. My. Gods. Is that who I think it is?"

She turned to see the pre-teen girls making a beeline for her. She had just enough time to think, _oh shit, _before one girl whipped out her phone and glanced between it and Annabeth.

"Oh my god. Oh my god, it is her!"

For the second time that day, a phone was shoved in her face, and she saw a screenshot of herself shouting at Percy, who looked like he was trying not to laugh.

"How could you do that?" one of the girls demanded. Her brown hair was pulled into two pigtails that hung to her shoulders. "You're so rude!"

"He cut off his video because of you," the other girl, a redhead, added. "It's your fault we can't watch him anymore!"

Annabeth had never been scared of preteens—their braces and acne weren't exactly fear inducing—but the look in these crazed fangirls eyes could only be described as downright murderous.

"Um…" Annabeth hedged.

"Oh my god," the redhead gasped. "If you're here, that means Percy's here too. This is the Target he was filming at!"

"Oh my god!" the pigtail girl screeched. "He's here!" Completely losing her head, she ran off in the opposite direction, shouting, "Percy! Percy Jackson, where are you?"

The redhead glared at Annabeth. "You're a jerkface," she sneered. Then, with no warning, she kicked Annabeth's shin, said, 'That's what you deserve!" and ran off to join her friend.

"Ow!" Annabeth bent down, clutching her shin—who knew sparkly sneakers could hurt so much—and hopped up and down. A stream of curse words spewed from her mouth.

"Psst. Hey, psst!"

Still holding her leg, Annabeth looked around to see Percy Jackson half peeking out of the grocery aisle, gesturing to her frantically.

Annabeth half limped over to him. "What are you—hey!" she protested as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the aisle.

"Did they see you?" he said urgently. "Are they gone?"

Annabeth crossed her arms. "Your fanbase is ridiculous, Jackson. And yes, they're gone. They ran off after they attacked me."

Percy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god," he said. "I—" He tensed as another voice floated through the store.

"Trixie, over here! I think I smell the cologne he uses!"

"Damn it," he cursed. "It's those two again."

"_Again_? How often does this happen?"

Percy peered around the corner. "It's clear," he said. Half crouched, he dashed across the open stretch of tile, skidded into the cosmetics section, and caught himself on a shelf. He waved to Annabeth and mouthed, _Come on._

This was ridiculous. He was running from twelve year olds. She was about to tell him as much when Trixie's voice came from several aisles over. "Bambi! Bambi, look at the pink pepper spray I found. We can use it on the mean girl and accessorize at the same time!"

Annabeth paled.

Twenty feet away, Percy's face looked a light shade of green. _Hurry, _he mouthed.

This time, she followed his advice. The throbbing her leg now abated, she ran to the cosmetics aisle.

Her momentum ended up being too much. She skidded, arms pinwheeling, and would have fallen into a row of foundation bottles if Percy hadn't grabbed her shoulders.

"I'm fine," she said impatiently, brushing him off. "Listen, about your video—"

Percy's eyes widened at something behind her. "Hide," he said, and pulled her behind a display of false eyelashes—_make your Valentine swoon for only 5.99!—_just as Trixie ran by, her frizzy red hair streaming behind her, a bottle of super sized pepper spray in one hand.

"Bambi!" Trixie called to the pigtail girl. "Did you find him yet? We can get him to sign the pepper spray before we use it on her!"

Annabeth slipped out from behind the display. "Right," she said shakily. "I'm starting to develop a fear of pre-teens."

Percy gave a lopsided grin. "Welcome to my life, Miss—"

"Annabeth Chase." She stuck her head around the corner, glanced both ways, and then said, "Have you considered the danger you put your guest stars in?"

"In my defense," Percy said, "you were an unintentional guest star. And I have no idea the Maenads would be here. I thought I lost those two for good in Queens."

"Who are the Ma—"

"I found his hat!" a shrill voice said from the grocery aisle. "I found it!"

_Oops_, Percy mouthed.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She said quietly, "Thirty feet down. Men's clothing section." Without waiting for him, she sprinted down the tile.

The threat of pepper spray was great motivation. She reached the carpeted section—perfect for hiding, with its racks of clothing placed every few feet—and crouched down behind a rack of baggy jeans.

She had just enough time to wonder how the hell she had got in this situation (blaming Thalia was at the top of her list) when Percy dove behind the rack.

"Maenads," he said, picking up their conversation like there had only been a mild interruption, "are a huge group of my fans. They're all over the United States, but those two…" he grimaced. "They're relentless. They've tracked me from Oregon to New York.

"They're like twelve," Annabeth said. "How do they have that much freedom?"

"Rich absent parents." He shook his head and swore. "I can't believe they found me again. You don't want to know what happened the last time they found me with a girl. It was—"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as Annabeth slapped a hand over his mouth. A pair of sparkly sneakers had appeared at the edge of the carpet.

"Bambi!" Trixie called in a whiny voice. "I don't think he's here anymore. Let's finish checking the men's section and then start looking outside Target."

To Annabeth's horror, the sparkly shoes began moving onto the carpet.

Percy's breath was hot on her hand. She removed it. His eyes were wide. He mouthed five words: _Don't let them find you._

His expression of horror was enough to solidify her fear. "Split up," she breathed. "You go left, I go right."

He nodded.

"Go."

Annabeth crawled across the floor army style, using her elbows to move her body forward. She paused behind each clothing rack, waited with bated breath for several seconds, and then kept moving.

She reached the edge of the men's section unnoticed. The next clothing section was several feet over, on red carpet and with the sign _Women's Intimate Apparel _hanging above it. Heart pounding, she entered the open stretch and began slithering across the gap on her stomach.

A girly gasp rang out. "I think I saw something!" Trixie said. "Bambi, over here!"

Annabeth's body tensed with fear. She was out in the open. Exposed. Helpless. She had just enough time to wonder if the pepper spray would hurt as much as Thalia said it did—which was a lot—when there was a loud crash.

"Ow!" Trixie cried. "Bambi, you made me trip!"

"I did not! That was your fault!"

It was less than thirty seconds that Trixie and Bambi argued. A thirty second time slot. Thirty seconds in which Percy appeared from behind a rack in the women's section, lunged forward, grabbed Annabeth's arms, and dragged her onto the red carpet.

They ended up crouched inside a circular rack with large, lacy bras that hung halfway to the floor. All the Maenads had to do was look down and they would be discovered.

There was a pattering of feet. A pair of sparkly shoes appeared, and with it, a bottle of pepper spray.

Without meaning to, Annabeth reached for Percy's hand and squeezed it tightly.

Bambi sighed loudly. "It was nothing," she said in a whiny voice. "You're going blind."

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"You're stupid!"

"I hate you!"

Their voices faded as they walked away, bickering the entire time. Annabeth just caught one of them saying, "Let's go check outside. If we don't see him, then maybe we can catch _her_."

It was another five minutes before they risked stepping outside the rack. They clambered out awkwardly, knocking at least a dozen articles of clothing to the ground.

Percy plucked a lacy red bra off his shoulder and held it out. "For you," he said.

She stared at him. "Oh my god," she said. "You are a freaking idiot. We almost got killed by a pair of psychopaths! Is this going to happen for the rest of my life?"

Percy brushed the dust off the bra and set it back on the rack. "Nah. I mean, sure, the Maenads are crazy, but Trixie and Bambi are a whole new level."

"You said the Maenads are a huge group. How many are there?"

Percy began picking up the dropped bras and tossing them onto the rack. "I dunno...a few million? Maybe ten?"

"_Ten million? _How am I going to leave the house again?" She tugged frantically on her blonde curls. "This is all your fault, Jackson."

"Hey," he said. "Do you think I'm any happier about this? Trixie and Bambi caught up with me on _Valentine's Day._ Do you know what it's like to be famous and single on the most romantic day of the year? It's not even eight and I've already had three dozen people practically fling themselves at me."

"Yeah, you're privileged ass is really suffering over here," she said drily. "In the meantime, I'm being threatened with assault. I just wanted to buy a hate valentine for my roommate. And you're doing that wrong!" she added, and snatched the bra away from him.

Percy leaned against the wall, watching her clip the bra onto its hanger.

"That's it," she said, slamming the hanger onto the rack. "I'm going to have to go into exile. I'll change my name. Drop my college classes." She moaned. "I'm going to end up being a middle aged woman named Gertrude flipping burgers."

He looked like he was suppressing a smile. "That bad, huh?"

Annabeth glared at him. "Unless you have any great ideas," she said, "then I'd rather not risk ten million enemies armed with pepper spray."

Percy furrowed his brow. Then his eyes lit up. "I've got it!"

"What?"

"I have a solution," Percy said. "And it'll solve both our problems.

Annabeth's spirits lifted slightly. "Okay. What is it?"

"You said you were kicked out of your apartment for the day, right?" he checked.

"Yes."

"You don't have anywhere to go? Nothing to do?"

"Again, yes."

"And you don't have a boyfriend?"

"_Is there a point to this?"_

Percy checked his phone. "It's seven a.m.," he said. "We have exacgtly seventeen hours until Valentine's Day is over. That's seventeen hours to convince my fans that a) you don't deserve hellfire and destruction for yelling at their favorite celebrity; and b) I am not single and most definitely don't want to hook up today."

She digested his words. "And how are we going to do that?"

He spread his hands and grinned. "It's simple," he said. "You and I are now dating."

* * *

**Note: I wrote this in two weeks. There wasn't a lot of time for editing or perfecting, so don't judge too harshly. It's a rushed, unrealistic, cheesy, mess of words cobbled together from 1 a.m. writing sessions and no sleep. :) Once I have time, I'll go back and rewrite it—fix the plot holes, fill in the details, smooth the edges, edit the dialogue, etc—but for now, you're stuck with this. ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

It took several moments for his words to sink in.

Percy Jackson—attractive, heartthrob, famous Youtuber—had just asked her—_Annabeth Chase,_ the most awkward, grumpy, bitchy person she knew—to be his girlfriend.

On Valentine's Day.

When the words finally struck, she stared at him incredulously. "Really? I'm being threatened with pepper spray and the wrath of your fanbase, and your perfect solution is to _become my boyfriend?"_

She set her hanger down and began walking away. "I'm going home. I don't care if I walk in on adult naptime, I'm going home and barricading myself in my room for the rest of my life."

Percy dodged in front of her. "Here me out," he said. When she didn't stop, he started walking backward. "We'll be boyfriend and girlfriend—"

"I'd rather go into exile—"

"We'll be sweet couple for the camera, do cute stuff for the fans, have a fun Valentine's Day together—"

"I'm seriously about to puke—"

"But we'll only be pretending."

This brought Annabeth to a halt. "What?"

Percy smiled with a corner of his mouth. "We won't actually be dating. We'll just fake it for the cameras."

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "But...but...how the heck does that help us?"

"I've been on Youtube for years," he said. "I know how to play to the crowd. If you want them to forget something—say, a crazy blonde shouting at a celebrity—then you give them something juicier."

She turned it over in her mind. The concept did make sense.

"And," he continued, "if you want fans to stop obsessing over your love life—whether it's shipping me with other celebrities, or trying to make a move on me—then you give them something else to obsess over. A new girlfriend. A new relationship to gossip about."

Annabeth furrowed her brow. She picked up the hanger and began tapping it against her thigh. "If we do this," she said slowly, "and I'm not agreeing to _anything_ yet, but if we do...people will leave me alone? They won't ruin my life with hate mail and pepper spray?"

Percy leaned back against the wall. "Yeah," he said. "We'll pretend the first video was a set-up. You know, a crazy hook to introduce my girlfriend.

"I mean, sure," he continued. "People will remember you and recognize your face. But they'll see you as the pretty girlfriend who pulled a prank in Percy Jackson's video, not as a...well, a bitch. No offense."

"None taken." She sighed. "I've never had the best temper. Or people skills." She fiddled with her tank top, noticing the coffee stain down the side. "How long would we pretend?"

"Just for Valentine's Day, " Percy said. "Tomorrow, we'll release a video that says we're breaking up. We'll cry, say our goodbyes, and be on our way."

"Just Valentine's Day," she repeated.

Was she really considering this? Being filmed in front of millions? Pretending to be a celebrity's girlfriend in front of _millions_? What would Luke think?

Luke. Her childhood friend, her high school crush, whom she couldn't let go of no matter how hard she tried.

Luke wasn't even in the picture. She had lost her opportunity when he started dating Thalia over two years ago. And now matter how annoyed Annabeth was with her roommate, she would never try to steal him from her.

It didn't matter. He didn't matter.

Annabeth stopped fiddling with her shirt. She straightened and looked Percy in the eye. "Okay..._bae. _What's our game plan?"

His eyes widened. "We're doing this?"

She shrugged. "Why not? I have nothing to lose and the rest of the day to regret it."

A slow smile spread over Percy's face. "Well—_bae_—I think our first move is to come up with more original nicknames." He held out his hand. "You ready, honeypie?"

She shook his hand. "As long as you don't call me that, then yes. I'm ready."

* * *

Their first decision as a couple was getting coffee from the Target Starbuck. Well, one of them decided to get coffee. The other complained the entire way about the horrible drink and started an argument about refined taste buds.

It was a good thing they weren't actually dating. If they were, Annabeth would have dumped him the second he called it 'god awful bean juice.'

Percy ordered the drinks, then joined her, sliding her drink across the table. "One almond milk vanilla latte, no whipped cream, no foam, and three added shots," he said, then shook his head disbelievingly. "I can't believe I'm dating a woman who drinks lattes with no whipped cream. That's the only redeeming part!"

"Fake dating," Annabeth corrected. "And just because I'm more sophisticated than your kidde milk—"

"It's called a _steamer. _And it happens to go perfectly with their chocolate chip cookies." As if to prove his statement, he dunked his cookie in the milk and took a large bite, spraying crumbs as he said, "See?"

"Fascinating," Annabeth said drily. "Do you have a weird obsession with cookies or something?" She gestured to his chocolate chip cookie pajamas.

"You're one to talk, given your snickerdoodle pajamas. Trust me, chocolate chip cookies are so much better. My mom makes them homemade…" A blissful look crossed his face. "Oh, man. They're so good."

"You're drooling." Annabeth took a sip of her latte and brushed the crumbs off the valentine card. Percy had insisted on buying it as a 'first couple gift', which meant she still had three dollars in her pocket. "I need a pencil," she said.

"A what?"

"A pencil. Some people might refer to it as wood covered graphite, or a writing utensil, or simply, you know..._a pencil._"

"Shockingly, I'm aware of what a pencil is." From his pocket, he withdrew a pen. "Does this work?"

She nodded and held out her hand. When he hesitated, she wiggled her fingers. "Any day now, Jackson."

"You have to be careful with it," he said.

She stared at him, then at the cheap, ballpoint pen that probably cost a nickel. "Jackson, it's a pen."

He reluctantly handed it over. "Just be gentle," he said. "Riptide and I have been through a lot together." He watched as she uncapped it and began writing on the card. "What are you doing?"

"Besides wondering why you named your ballpoint pen Riptide? I'm writing a contract."

"A contract? For what?"

"For us."

"_For us?"_

Annabeth tapped the pen against the table. "We need to make terms. Agreements. And consequences if one of us—" she gave him a pointed look— "breaks them."

Percy stared at her. Several cookie crumbs littered his white shirt. "You're serious?"

"Of course. How else can we be sure that we'll keep our ends of the bargain?"

"Oh, don't know. How about—here's a radical idea—trust?"

"We barely know each other," Annabeth pointed out. "A contract is failsafe. So, first rule: don't tell anybody we're faking our relationship."

"Wow," Percy said. "Without this contract, I never would have thought of that." He picked up her latte and examined it. "How do you like this stuff?"

"Second rule," she continued, ignoring his question. "We can go anywhere in New York City except our apartments. Neither of us want to walk in on people making love."

Percy cautiously sniffed her drink. "I gotta tell you Anna, most people call it sex." He wagged his finger at her. "And you say I'm the childish one."

"Third rule: no calling me Anna. Or Annie or Beth or blondie. It's _Annabeth."_

"You take the fun out of everything." He took a tiny sip of her latte.

"Fourth rule: there will be no kissing."

Percy spat out the latte. Coffee splattered across the table. "_What?"_

Annabeth rolled her eyes and shoved the napkin container toward him. "You're disgusting."

"And you're crazy," he said. "How are we going to convince people we're dating if we can't kiss each other?"

"This was your idea," Annabeth said. "Think of something." An image of Luke popped up in her head, unbidden, and her heart began thumping a little faster. "But I can't kiss you."

He narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"_I don't. _But I'm still not going to kiss you. It just...won't work."

He frowned. "You're not lesbian, are you? Or Aro? Or...wait." Understanding dawned in his eyes. "There's someone _else_ you want to be kissing."

"_No."_

"There totally is! Look, your face is getting all red!"

Annabeth tried to look at her face, realized the complications of doing such a thing, and then flushed even harder. In an attempt to regain some dignity, she snatched her latte back. "It's not like that. He's...he's not even an option. I just don't want him—"

"—to see you kissing me," Percy finished. He leaned back, a calculating look in his eyes. "You know, there is a subtle art to persuasion. Who knows? Maybe if he saw us kissing it would stir up buried feelings."

She buried her face in her hands. "Please stop talking. He probably won't even see the video—he'll be too busy with my roommate—but I just...I just need it to be casual."

"A casual relationship, huh? There's a term for that called—"

"Don't finish that sentence," she warned him.

Percy laced his hands behind his head and grinned. "All right, _Annabeth. _No kissing. Do I get to make any rules?"

"No."

"That not fair," he pointed out. "That's a dictatorship."

Annabeth smiled smugly. "Yes. Yes, it is. But since I have the paper and pen—"

Before she could stop him, Percy plucked the pen from her hand and slid the card to his side of the table. "Hey!" she protested.

"Rule number five," he said, scribbling on the card. "You can't call me Jackson. I'm pretty sure my fans will notice something's off if you only refer to me with a snide surname."

"It's not snide. I'm just saying your name!"

"You mentioned consequences, right?" he continued. "All right. If either of us violates the contract, then…" He tapped the pen against the table. "Hmm…" His eyes lit up. "Got it." He scribbled something down and then slid the card back to her.

She squinted at his sloppy handwriting. "If the contract is violated, then the accused must…" She looked up at him. "Seriously? Dunk their head in ice water?"

"So judgemental," Percy said. He reached over and scrawled his name at the bottom of the card. "Done," he said, and offered the pen to her. "All yours, love."

Annabeth paused. She was really doing this. She was signing a contract to have a fake boyfriend for the day. But what about—

No. Luke didn't matter. She had to stop pretending she had a chance with him.

It was one day. Less, actually. Seventeen hours. Seventeen hours to convince the world she was in love with Percy Jackson.

"Annabeth?" Percy dangled the pen from his fingertips. "See, the main purpose of a pen is to _write_ with it. Or haven't you heard?" His sea green eyes glinted with mirth.

Annabeth paused for only a moment longer before taking the pen. "Okay," she said. She signed her name next to Percy's. "Okay," she said again, and handed the pen back to him. "Okay," she exhaled. "I have a fake boyfriend. I have a _freaking fake boyfriend._"

Percy smiled. "Don't worry, honeycookie. You'll get over the shock."

"If you call me honeycookie again, I will break your heart into a million pieces."

Percy cursed. "Damn it. I'll keep trying." He picked up his steamer, stood up, and offered his hand. "Shall we?"

She hesitated, then cautiously took it. "Target really has a way of bringing people together, doesn't it?" he said casually, pulling her up easily.

Annabeth shook her head. "Sure, Percy," she said. "Whatever you want to say."

With a safe gap between their bodies, they left Target hand in hand.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lights?"

"Check."

"Camera?"

"Check."

"Pretending to be desperately in love with each other for ulterior motives?"

"Just turn the damn video on, Jac—Percy."

Percy winked at her. "So close. You were two syllables away from ice water."

They were standing outside of Target, the wind whipping through their pajamas like they were paper. Annabeth shoved her hands in her armpits, trying to preserve body heat, and cursed Thalia for leaving her homeless without a coat.

"Stupid roommate," she grumbled.

Percy pulled out his phone and held it up. "Think of it this way. You may not have a home, but you get to hang out with me all day!" He fumbled with his phone, nearly dropping it on the pavement before catching it with his fingertips.

"I feel so blessed," Annabeth said drily. "Can we just get this over w—"

"Hey, guys!" Percy said to the recording camera.

Annabeth quickly forced a smile onto her face.

The number of viewers jumped—first ten, then a thousand, then a hundred thousand. It continued to climb by the minute as thousands of people stopped what they were doing to watch Percy Jackson stand outside of Target.

"You might be a bit confused," Percy said to the phone, "since I'm with the Target girl who shouted at me last video."

Comments started popping up.

_That bitch._

_Don't listen to her, Percy, ur awesome! 3_

_Don't worry, guys, I'm trying to get some tea on her. After it spills, no one will hire her again. _

Annabeth's heart plummeted. Not good, she thought. Most definitely not good. She had to get this right.

Motivated by the thought of no future employment, she made her smile wider and then—unable to think of anything better—wrapped her arms around Percy, pressing herself to his side like she was one of those Instagram girls posing for a picture.

(Why, oh why, had she not been blessed with their knowledge of how to pose for the camera in a non awkward way?)

Percy looked caught off guard by her impulsive move, but he quickly hid his surprise behind a smile and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Here's the deal," he said. "That last video was us pulling your lovely woman doesn't actually hate me, and I don't dislike her either."

Annabeth laughed. She almost winced at how fake it sounded.

"So, people of YouTube, I'm here to introduce—drumroll, please—my girlfriend, Annabeth Chase!"

For the next five minutes, the comments exploded. Shock and confusion and heart emojis flooded the screen. The number of viewers tripled.

Percy went on the explain that he and Annabeth had been dating for three months, that they'd kept it under the radar for personal reasons, and had decided to announce the news with a bang.

"As an apology for keeping our relationship from you guys, we're going to do something special," Percy said.

Annabeth couldn't help but wonder at his words. He was apologizing for having a private life. Why? And what gave his viewers the right to expect an apology?

Percy continued. "We'll be live streaming on and off today, filming our first Valentine's Day as a couple, just for you."

The comments about her had drastically changed.

_OMG they're perfect!_

_She's sooo cute! I love her bedhead!_

_They have matching couple pajamas! Talk about couple goals! _

_A.C. is such a good actor! I can't believe she fooled us all; I was ready to rip that girl apart before I heard it was a set-up. _

"We'll be back in ten minutes tops," Percy said.

Annabeth furrowed her brow. Weren't they going to be filming for longer than five minutes? Nevertheless, she hid her confusion and waved at the phone until the video ended.

When it did, she immediately stepped away from Percy. "Why did you end it?" she asked. "We could have kept filming."

Percy slipped his phone into his pocket. "Because of you," he said. "We seriously need to work on your camera skills.

"What?"

He chuckled. "Is this your first time acting on camera?" He gestured for her to follow, then jogged to the crosswalk and pressed the button.

"What did you mean?" Annabeth asked, following him. Goosebumps erupted on her arms from the cold.

"I mean…" Percy paused. "Well, to put it mildly…"

She folded her arms. "Spit it out."

He leaned against the post. "All right, Chase. You're as authentic as a knockoff brand of Spam."

Annabeth opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "But...but...I was smiling and waving. I even hugged you!"

"Yeah, and you were as stiff as a board the entire time," he pointed out. The crosswalk sign lit up, and they began walking again. "Performing for the camera is an art," Percy said. "You have to be enthusiastic and happy. You do know what that word means, right?"

"Ha ha," she grumbled. "All right, I get it. I suck. What do I do?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? You're asking me for advice? Can I get this down in writing?"

She swatted at his arm, but he laughed, danced out of the way, then turned so he was in front of her, walking backward. "I'll teach you," he said. "Think of something you're really passionate about."

"Architecture," Annabeth responded instantly.

"Architecture," Percy repeated. "A designer, huh? Tell me about it."

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "It's amazing. You should see the things I'm learning…." She began rambling about beams and interior lighting and curved windows, about the buildings she had seen and the ones she wanted to build. She was so engrossed in the topic, she didn't even notice the minutes flying by.

"Okay, stop," Percy said.

She suddenly realized how much time had passed.

"You see?" he said. Sometime in the last ten minutes, he had began walking beside her again. "Architecture is what you're passionate about. When you talked about it, you lit up like a Christmas tree. That's what people want to see on camera. Enthusiasm. Authenticity. Not fake smiles and tense hugs."

She pondered his words. "That's actually good advice," she said slowly.

"Well, I do have some talents," Percy said. "Ready to try again?"

Annabeth puffed out her cheeks and then released the air. "I'm ready." She allowed a smile to cross her face. "Let's see how your teaching pays off."

* * *

As it turned out, Percy was a very good teacher. The next time the camera was on, she glowed like a fun-loving beacon—all happy smiles and laughs.

Whenever she felt herself become too stiff or her facade start to crumble, she would bring back the happy feeling she had about architecture, and then she would keep going.

It was all fake. She didn't really want to gush about fifty percent off funko pops, or roar with laughter at Percy's attempt at a Canadian accent—though it really was funny—or do anything else that friends usually did. She was just pretending.

But that was the point. Everything about it was fake—the video, her acting, their relationship—all of it was for the cameras. It didn't matter if she felt as authentic as a plastic doll.

It was because of this that she wondered: if it was all fake, then why did she care?

It was hard for her to have be around other people. For years, she had pushed them away, letting in only a select few, like Luke and Thalia. It was just easier. There was a smaller chance that she would get hurt.

Because of this, having fun was a novelty. Hanging out with cheerful people like Percy Jackson was a novelty. Being happy with others was a novelty.

And so, for the next five hours, she pretended.

* * *

Okay," Percy said. One arm was slung around her shoulder, the other holding up the filming phone. "Welcome to our fifth video in as many hours. Next up is a thriller. Annabeth, do you see that hot dog stand?"

"You mean the one selling obesity for 4.99?" she asked.

Percy appraised her. "Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine."

She smiled sweetly—once again, only acting. "Only for you, sweetie," she said, keeping her tone playful and flirtatious.

It was all for the camera.

"Here's the plan," Percy said. There was excitement in his voice."You're going to walk across the street and buy a hot dog."

"Thank god," she said. "Something warm."

"Oh, yeah! That's another thing we need: two coats and non-pajama clothes. We should go shopping after this. I know this place—"

"Back to the hotdogs," Annabeth reminded him.

"Right. You're going to buy a hot dog. I'll come a few minutes after you, and then all you need to do is follow my lead. Got it?" He pressed a five dollar bill into her hand.

She nodded. "Let's do this." She flashed a peace sign at the camera, slipped out from under his arm, and jogged across the crosswalk. She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the opposite street. Just a little bit longer. Only eleven more hours of pretending.

The hot dog vendor was short, plump, and balding. A toothpick stuck out of his mouth. "What's your order?" he demanded.

"A bowl of soup."

Toothpick Man stared at her. "What?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll take a hotdog. Two lines of mustard, one ketchup. No relish."

He muttered under his breath—something about dumb blondes—and pulled out a hotdog from his cart. He squirted the ketchup and mustard on and handed it over. "That'll be 4.99."

She pulled out the five dollar bill. As she did so, Percy came up, his phone discreetly filming at his side.

"Oi! You there!" he said in the worst british accent she had ever heard. "How much are you paying this chappie?"

Annabeth choked on her hot dog. She turned away, trying to disguise her laughter as a hacking cough.

Toothpick Man didn't look happy at the intrusion. "Hand over the money," he said. "I don't have all day."

"Now mate," Percy said. "What does your sign say?"

Toothpick Man only glowered.

"I'll read it for you," Percy said. "It says, and I quote: _Unsatisfied customers get a full refund. _Meaning, this lovely woman doesn't have to pay you if she's not satisfied."

The toothpick in his mouth snapped.

Percy turned to Annabeth. "Well? Are you satisfied, Miss?"

His eyes glinted with laughter. He winked at her and she felt something stir in her chest—some happy, carefree part of herself she had long forgotten. It was different. Bright. Real.

She relished the warm feeling. And so she played along. "Well," she said, "I'm not sure the mustard is up to standard."

Toothpick Man's eyes widened. "Whadda mean? I gave you the two lines like you asked!"

"Actually, you gave me one and ninth tenths of a line. See? The second one doesn't quite reach the end."

Toothpick Man fisted his hands. "It's close enough. Now give me the damn money!"

"Are you swearing at a lady, mate?" Percy shook his head disapprovingly. "Americans. I've got to say, things would have been much better if we English had won the war."

Toothpick Man slammed his hand down on the cart. "Listen up, _mate. _At least americans don't wear pajamas on 28° days. You british are crazy. And I want my money!"

Percy glanced at her, shoulders shaking from a suppressed laugh, and she felt that happy, bubbly feeling in her chest again.

If this was what it meant to have friends, she decided she liked it.

Annabeth smiled. "Here," she said to the vendor. She held out the five dollar bill.

Toothpick Man reached for it. Before he could grab it, the wind whipped it out of her grip. It flew sideways, smacked into a tree, slid down to the base, and then disappeared down a sewer grate.

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and came to the same conclusion.

"Run!"

She dropped the hot dog and sprinted across the street. Luckily, the vehicles were idling at a red light, so she wasn't instantly run over. Cars honked and drivers shouted as she wove her way through them. Percy followed,, yelling at the cars in his bad accent.

"Oi, mate! That's my girlfriend you're shouting at!"

Annabeth risked a glance back. Percy was standing in the middle of the street, lecturing a hulking driver—who looked downright murderous—on the logistics of traffic lights.

"Why aren't they pink?" he said. "It would be so much more exciting that boring old red."

"Hurry up, idiot!" she called.

"I'M CALLING THE COPS ON YOU DELINQUENTS!" the driver roared.

"Time to go," Percy said quickly. He ran ahead, causing more angry drivers, and grabbed her hand. "Come on m'lady! We can't spend Valentine's Day in jail!"

She laughed as he tugged her along, leaving behind an angry hot dog vendor, shouting drivers, and several pedestrians dialing rapidly on their phone.

They didn't stop running for six blocks.

"Over here!" Percy gasped, skidding around a corner.

The sidewalk branched off from the road, away from the busy sounds of the city and into a quieter area. It stopped at the edge of a large fountain. A stone spout sprayed water upward, disturbing the water in the basin below as it rained down. A stone bench circled the fountain, holding in the shallow water.

Percy collapsed on the bench. Annabeth knelt next to him, muscles trembling as she gasped for air, trying to quench the burning in her throat. It was only by sheer willpower that she stopped herself from gulping down fountain water.

"All right….guys," Percy panted, addressing the camera. "Gotta...take a...break. Signing...off...for now." The phone went dark and his hand went limp.

The last twenty minutes began to sink in. She had assisted a british impersonator in a hot dog scam, had jaywalked, and then ran to avoid the police who were surely on their way.

What was she thinking? She was crazy; absolutely, irrevocably crazy. When had she become this impulsive?

She turned her head to look at Percy, who was now lapping at the fountain water like a dog.

Annabeth guessed she would never know.

Percy wiped his mouth and sat up in a crouch. "Well?" he asked. "Am I about to revive a stern lecture on jaywalking?"

He was smirking. His sea green eyes laughed at her—no, she realized. Not at her. _With_ her. He wanted to laugh with her.

And then that bubbly feeling was back. "Jackson," she started, but she couldn't finish. A giggle erupted from her. She shoved her fist in her mouth to stop it, but it did nothing to muffle the sound.

Percy was laughing again. And then, as if a light switch had been flipped in her brain, she was laughing with him, clutching her stomach as tears of mirth streamed from her eyes.

"We're...such...idiots!" she gasped. She rolled onto her back and continued to laugh at the stormy gray clouds above them.

Percy stared down at her, a slightly surprised, slightly amused look on his face. Then he shook his head and looked up at the sky. "You're all right, Chase. I had my doubts, but goddammit, you're pretty all right."

Annabeth wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "I'm all right? That's the best compliment you can come up with?" She shook her head. "You're all right too, Jackson. You're damn all right."

Percy's eyes glinted. "Did I just hear my surname?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. You called me Chase. And where are you going to find a bucket of ice water to—AHH!"

Percy roared with laughter. "There's no rules against calling you Chase," he crowed. "Only for you calling me Jackson. How's the water?"

"I hate you!" she spluttered. She grasped the ledge and pulled herself into a sitting position, her body shivering in the frigid water. "You can't push people in fountains when it's _winter!"_

Percy was still gloating. He was so distracted, he didn't have time to notice Annabeth reaching for his shirt collar until it was too late.

He landed next to her in the water and let out a high shriek. "_Cold! Holy frick, cold!" _He scrambled to his feet and only succeeded in falling down again, splattering them both with water. "_Get me out of here!" _

It was only when Annabeth started laughing again that she realized what had happened.

She was happy. She was having fun. She was sitting in a fountain in freezing February, soaked with icy water, and she was laughing with a friend. And the best part?

She wasn't faking anything.

Percy voice jolted her from her thoughts.

"Are you just waiting for hypothermia, or are you actually too numb to move?"

Annabeth looked up to see Percy crouched on the ledge, soaked with water, white shirt clinging to his skin, his hand held out to her.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly.

His dark hair dripped with water, hanging into his sea green eyes. For whatever reason, she was just now realizing they were the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen.

Hmm. Maybe she _was _getting hypothermia.

"Come on," he said. "Give me your hand."

She tried to take his hand, but for some reason—the cold, it had to be the cold—her muscles didn't respond.

Percy's eyes grew concerned. "Okay," he said, "Time to get out." He reached forward, getting a firm grip underneath her shoulders. His muscles contracted as he pulled her out of the water. "How about some dry clothes?" he said.

"S...sou...sounds g...g...good," Annabeth said. Her teeth were chattering too hard to stop.

"I know the perfect place," Percy said. His lips were now blue. "Say we hurry?" He held out his hand.

This time, she accepted it without hesitation. "Yes," she said. "I completely agree."

* * *

**The cheesy romance is strong with this author l****ol. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Ughhhhh...this probably won't be done by the fourteenth. I mean, I could write really quickly and get it done, but the chapters would be even more rushed and crappy than they are now, so I don't want to do that. I'll probably end up extending the deadline so I have more time to edit. **

**(This is **_**such**_ **a shocker, right? I mean, I'm **_**always **_**on time with updates for my stories, and I **_**never**_ **abandon my update schedule. *Insert the most sarcastic tone ever*)**

**Lol but seriously, I'll try to wrap this story up quickly and get back to writing **_**Of Seaweed Brains and Wise Girls. **_**This ended up being longer than I thought it would be, so….yeah. Sorry to everybody following it OSBAWG. I'll return to it as soon as I can. ;) **

* * *

"Can I ask you a question?" Percy asked.

"Does it have anything to do with my half naked body?

"What? No. No, definitely not. I would never—"

"Relax, Percy," Annabeth said. "I'm joking."

They were in the dressing room of a salon/clothing store, owned by Percy's friend Silena—a pretty, dark haired girl several years older than them.

After seeing their soaked, shivering bodies on her doorstep, Silena had immediately ushered them in, let them (separately) use her shower in the connected loft, and then shooed them toward the dressing room with a pile of clothes.

There were only two stalls, divided from each other by a turquoise colored wall. Annabeth, wrapped in towels, had been led to the right one, where Silena had her left a large pile of clothing to pick through. She was dressed in everything but a shirt when Percy entered the other stall.

"What's the question?" Annabeth asked. She held up a sequined top and immediately dismissed it.

There was a shuffling sound as Percy pulled on a pair of pants. Either Silena had given him a smaller pile, or he was just quicker at deciding. "You have a crush on this guy, right?"

"Right," she said slowly.

"How long have you liked him?"

Annabeth frowned. "I don't know. We've been friends since I was seven, but I guess it really started when I was...fifteen?"

"Fifteen," Percy mused. "You're twenty, right?"

"Yup. Practically ancient."

"Okay. If you've liked him for five years, then why haven't you made a move?"

Annabeth exhaled through her nose. "It's complicated."

"Try me. I'm smarter than I look."

"He's...he's dating my roommate," she explained reluctantly. "They've been together for two years. I've basically been third wheeling the entire time."

"Ouch," Percy said.

"Ouch," she agreed.

There was a rifling of paper as Percy opened a shoe box. "I have another question."

"Is this an interrogation or something?" she asked. "Is the mirror two way glass?"

"I'm not that smart," Percy said. "Here's my question: when was the last time you had a boyfriend?"

Annabeth pulled on a gray shirt. "Um...like…" She dropped her voice, mumbling her response.

"What?" Percy said.

Annabeth sighed. "Five years," she said loudly.

There was a thud from the other stall. Percy had dropped the box. "Wait…"

"Don't say it."

"Annabeth Chase—"

"It's not important."

"Are you dressed?" he asked suddenly.

"I...yeah, I'm dressed. Are we dropping this? Because—what the hell?"

Percy's head appeared above the wall. Using his arms, he pulled himself up further, then rested his forearms on the top of the wall to support his body. "You're telling you that you've been hung up on this guy for _five years?"_

"Ding, ding, ding," she said sarcastically. "And was the entrance really necessary?"

"It was one hundred percent necessary."

Rolling her eyes, she knelt down and began to lace up her boots. While she did so, she noticed the price tag. "Oh my god. These are _two hundred dollars?"_

"Yeah, Silena's kind of a famous designer. But that doesn't matter! What matters is—"

"I can't pay for these! I only have three dollars!"

"I'll take care of it," Percy assured her. "In exchange for one question: _Why?"_

She ran a hand through her tangled curls. "Really? Blackmail? That's low."

"It's not blackmail," he said. "It's a favor. In exchange for a question: _Why?_"

Annabeth scowled. "I don't know what's more pathetic: me talking about ex crushes that aren't actually exes, or me talking about ex crushes to my _fake boyfriend._"

"Come on," he wheedled. "You know you want to."

She sighed, reluctantly giving in. "I don't know what I feel for him. It's true!" she added as Percy made a disbelieving face. "Luke...for the longest time, he was my only family. The only person that really cared about me. Then came the time where I thought things might be..._more..._but it never happened. He started dating Thalia, and and things have never been the same."

Annabeth looked up at Percy, who had an uncharacteristically pensive look on his face. "I don't know what feelings are real or not," she confessed. "I don't know what part of me is the little girl that idolized him, and what part is the teenager head over heels for the only boy who ever cared about her."

Percy stared at her, open mouthed. It was obvious he hadn't expected such a deep answer. "That's...well, that's…"

"Pathetic. Believe me, I know." She tried to knot her laces again, but her hands were shaking too much. "I can't even tie a damn shoelace," she muttered. "That's how much I suck at life."

Percy spoke hesitantly. "Do...do you want some help?"

She paused for a second. "I...yeah. Okay."

Percy lifted himself up further, pulling his body over the wall, and then dropped lightly next to her. They stared at each other for a moment, then he cleared his throat. "Uh, double knot, right?"

She nodded. He knelt down and picked up the laces. "I'm sorry," he said abruptly. "I'm shouldn't have pushed you. I didn't know it was…"

"It's fine," Annabeth said. "You know, I've never actually told anyone that." She exhaled. "It was...it was kind of nice, to be honest."

He gave her a slight smile. "Okay."

She hesitantly smiled back. "Okay."

Percy snorted, then finished tying the laces and stood up. "I'm shitty about giving life advice, but hey, at least your shoes are tied."

Annabeth's lips twitched. "Yeah. You...you tie good knots."

"Uh huh."

They were inches apart. The stall wasn't huge, but there was still enough room to step back if need be.

Neither of them did.

Percy took a deep breath. "Listen, about the contract. I—"

A knock on the door interrupted him. They both jumped back from each other.

"Annabeth?" Silena said from the other side. "Are you dressed?"

"Um, yeah." Annabeth's voice came out an octave higher than usual. "Yeah, I'm dressed."

"Great!" The door opened and Silena walked in, a jacket in her arms. "I just wanted to give you—oh!" Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O.

Annabeth's face reddened. Beside her, Percy paled. "I was tying her shoe," he said lamely.

Silena nodded quickly. "Right," she said. "Shoelaces." The edges of her lips twitched, but she didn't say anything else. She turned to Annabeth. "I have a coat for you."

"I…I can't," Annabeth stammered. "I don't have enough—"

"I'm paying," Percy said.

"No, I can pay tomorrow," Annabeth said. "I can come back with—"

Silena waved her off. "It's on the house." She pressed the jacket into Annabeth's arms.

Her eyes widened. "Seriously? But—"

"It's my treat," Silena insisted.

Percy grinned broadly. "Thanks, Silena!"

"On one condition."

His shoulders slumped. "I should've known. What's the chore?"

Silena laughed. "The cabinets upstairs need to be dusted, and you can reach them better than I can."

"But…" Percy glanced between her and Annabeth.

"There are chocolate chip cookies upstairs," Silena added. "Your mom dropped off a batch this morning."

Percy's eyes widened. "I'll be upstairs," he said, and immediately rushed out of the stall.

Silena followed him. "Kids," she said, shaking her head. "I'll be right back, sweetie. Give me five minutes."

And then Annabeth was alone.

She slipped into the jacket without checking the price—no need to guilt herself even more—and looked at herself in the mirror.

She could see why Silena was a popular designer. The skinny jeans were perfect, the boots stylish but practical, the white ski jacket snug and comfortable. Excluding her hair—which resembled the aftereffects of a hurricane—Annabeth had to admit that she looked good. Better than she did in snickerdoodle cookies and a coffee stained tank top, at least.

She smiled, and the girl in the mirror smiled back.

"Maybe getting a fake boyfriend really is the way to go," she said aloud. Then she shook her head, laughed, and left the changing room.

The store was divided into two parts: the clothing section and the salon. Annabeth wandered toward the front, where a row of leather swivel chairs waited, each with its own mirror, sink, and hair supplies.

Silena appeared a moment later. "I've set Percy to work," she announced. "In the meantime, how about we sort out those curls?"

Despite Annabeth's protests that she was fine, and that Silena had done enough for them already, Silena insisted that she sit. Eventually Annabeth caved. She settled herself in a chair and watched through the mirror as Silena began combing through her knots.

"Where are the other customers?" Annabeth asked, glancing around at the empty store. "Aren't there people you have to help?"

Silena shook her head. "I'm closed for the afternoon. Don't worry," she added after seeing Annabeth's face. "It's no big deal. I wasn't going to leave my kid and his, ah, girlfriend out in the cold."

There was something about the way she said _girlfriend_ that made Annabeth wonder if Silena knew more than she let on.

"Right," Annabeth said quickly. "Girlfriend. And—did you call him your kid?"

Silena laughed. "Not genetically," she assured her. "I used to babysit him when he was ten. To me, he's still the energetic, sweet little boy I would see every weekend."

She moved to another knot. "You have such pretty hair," she said. "If you take the time to brush it every once in a while, these knots won't be as hard to get rid of."

As if to prove her point, the comb caught on a tangle, making Annabeth's eyes water with pain.

Sorry." Silena winced. "Don't worry; I have some mousse that will turn these curls into pure gold. It's to die for."

Girl talk. Annabeth had never been good at it. She wished she could be like Silena, who was obviously able to navigate conversations about hair, clothes, and makeup so easily.

"Oh, right," Annabeth said to fill the silence. "Yeah, I use mousse sometimes."

"Oh, really? What kind?"

"Um...I dunno," Annabeth admitted. "It looks like whipped cream," she added lamely.

And there it is, she thought. Another miserable attempt by Annabeth Chase to fit in.

Silena was nice enough not to laugh at her ineptitude. "I get you," she said. "When Percy was younger, he thought it _was_ whipped cream. Let me tell you, that was _not_ fun to deal with.

Annabeth snorted. That sounded exactly like something Percy (at either age ten or twenty) would do.

"I've been watching your videos," Silena said. "Percy seems to really like you."

This threw Annabeth off. If Silena knew they were pretending, then why was she continuing with the facade?

"I've known Percy for a long time," Silena continued. You wouldn't know by looking at him, but he's had a rough few years. And those fans of his…"

Silena scowled, and the comb caught on another knot. "He didn't say anything, but you could tell he was nervous for Valentine's Day. That's why I'm happy that...well…" She set her comb down and turned the chair so Annabeth was facing her. "Just promise me you'll treat him right. Please?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Percy bounded down the stairs. "Annabeth!" he called. "Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth!"

Annabeth had just enough time to say "What do you—" before a cookie was shoved in her mouth. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god," she said, spraying crumbs. "What is amazing thing? And...wait, why is it blue?"

Percy and Silena both laughed. "Special Jackson recipe," he explained. "My mom makes them blue every time."

"They're his favorite," Silena added.

Percy rubbed his hands together. "All right, Sweetcakes," he said. "We're wasting daylight."

Annabeth swallowed the cookie. "Sweetcakes? Peercy, your nicknames are continually worsening."

"I happen to like them, Honeycookie," he said, placing a hand over his chest as if she had wounded him. "I am a very creative person when it comes to nicknames. I may not have the intellect of you, O' Wise One, but I'm competent."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and stood up. "See what I have to deal with?" she said to Silena. And then to Percy: "I already shot down Honeycookie, remember?"

Silena smiled. "Get going, you two. I'll have your clothes dry in a few hours."

After thanking her, they headed to the door, bickering the entire way about cliché nicknames. As the door swung shut behind them, the last thing Annabeth heard from inside was Silena talking on the phone, saying something about a seven o'clock reservation.

Then the door swung shut, and once again she was in New York City, walking down the sidewalk with a fake boyfriend/celebrity in tow.

* * *

**MyNightmaresAreMyDaydreams: **_**Aw, thank you. I'm literally cringing as I go back and read how rushed it is, but I'm so glad you think it's good!**_

**Shadowhunterofathena: **_**Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it.**_

**Voldinette: ****_You're absolutely right; I made this pretty cheesy, even by my standards. (Actually, seeing as everything I write is coated in cheese, that's not saying much lmao) Anyway, thanks for reading. ;)_**

**Aawesomesauce: **_**Thank you! Here's your quick update. ;)**_

**Guardian'sDragonOfDeath: **_**Thank you! :)**__**  
**_

**Loudlilylaughter11: **_**I totally agree: it's really rushed. Rest assured, I'll come back and edit it—fill in the details, fix the pacing, etc.—but for now, thank you for reading and leaving a nice review! **_

**Simba the Beagle: **_**Yeah, TATBILB was huge inspiration for this story. I suppose that's what happens when you combine a love of writing with a love of movies. (which pretty much sums me up lol). :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is dedicated to everyone sitting alone on Valentine's Day, watching movies or reading fan fiction. Don't worry: Aphrodite's creating the perfect ship for you right now. ;)**

**(And if you're still worried, at least you're not me. I'm **_**writing**_ **fanfiction on valentine's Day. You can't get more pathetic than that.) XD**

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

It was several blocks before the nickname debate ended (won by Annabeth, who pointed out that such names were belittling, as they compared a person to food only consumed for pleasure).

"Fine," Percy said, pressing the crosswalk button. "From now on, I'll refer to you as Whole Wheat Bread. Happy?"

"I'm gluten intolerant."

He narrowed his eyes. "That's a lie. I watched you scarf down a dozen cookies at that bakery this morning."

"It was not a dozen," she said indignantly. "It was _three._ And snickerdoodle cookies happen to be the best food on this planet, so—"

"Oh, so I can call you Snickerdoodle?" he said. The crosswalk sign lit up. He began listing off variations of the name as they walked. "Snickers, Doodle, Snickery, Snickerdoodle cookie—hey, that rhymes!"

"Percy, my food preferences are not a good reference for creating a nickname."

"It's official." Percy raised his arms and addressed the idling cars. "My girlfriend's nickname is Snickerdoodle!"

The drivers stared incredulously. One—a woman in her mid thirties, with three wailing kids in the backseat, rolled down the window. "Do you need help?" she called to Annabeth. "Is he harassing you?"

Percy turned to Annabeth. "Am I annoying you, Snickerdoodle?"

Annabeth waved the driver off. "I'm good," she said. Then to Percy: "Call me that again and I will remove the taste buds from your mouth."

The crosswalk sign began flashing a warning. A driver honked. "Oi, mate!" Percy said in his awful British accent. "Keep your pants on!"

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth grabbed his arm and pulled him to the sidewalk. "Do you really need to aggravate every driver you pass? For all we know, the police are still looking for us after _last_ time.

Percy snorted. "For what, jaywalking? Snickerdoodle, there are worse crimes than walking across the street." He made a face. "I see what you mean. Snickerdoodle has too many syllables for a nickname."

"Thank God," she said. "That was the cringiest name you've _ever _come up with."

He grinned. "Come on; you know you love me. We're dating, after all."

"Fake dating," she corrected automatically.

Percy hesitated. "Right." There was something off about his voice. "Fake dating."

She gave him a quizzical look. "You okay?"

He blinked, shaking his head. "Yeah, fine." His cocky smile was back in an instant. "Don't go turning into a mother hen, Chase."

She rolled her eyes. "I've kept you alive for the past seven hours. That's enough for me."

Ten minutes later, the sidewalk branched into a small park, winding its way through a grassy area bordered with oak trees and dotted with red maples, picnic tables, and several families enjoying a winter picnic.

"Can I ask you a question?" Annabeth said abruptly. They were still on the sidewalk. Above the trees, she could see the buildings towering over the small sanctuary.

"Does it have anything to do with my fully clothed body?" Percy joked, repeating her response from half and hour ago.

"Yes," she deadpanned. " I mean, your body's practically a miracle. How can you live on a diet of chips, cookies, and pizza, and still look as fit as you do?"

"So you admit it," he said triumphantly. "I'm devilishly handsome and strong."

"I did _not _say that." She stretched, groaning. "My legs are killing me. How much longer?"

"Twenty minutes," Percy said. "And don't change the subject. You totally admitted I'm in shape." Percy slowed, stopping next to a tall maple dusted with snow. "Does your analytical mind need proof?"

Annabeth snorted. "What are you going to do, find a gym and lift weights?"

"Nah." He leaned his shoulder against the maple. "There's an easier way. How much do you weigh?"

She furrowed her brow. "I dunno...a hundred and thirty, maybe? Why?"

He spread his hands and grinned. "I'll match your weight. I bet you twenty bucks that I can find and lift a hundred and thirty pounds. And I'll do it in the next ten seconds."

"Ten seconds?" Annabeth laughed. "I'll take that bet. What are you going to match my weight with, a hundred squirrels and b—HEY!" she cried as Percy swept her off her feet, lifted her up, and slung her over his shoulders fireman style. "THAT'S CHEATING!" she roared.

Percy grinned. "I never said I'd find something _else _to lift," he said. "I win."

"That's not...that doesn't...you son of a...oh, just put me down!"

"Do you have twenty bucks?"

"_No," _she said, raising her head from its upside-down position to glare at him. "I have three, as you well know."

He shook his head sadly. "Too bad. I guess I'll have to keep you hostage until you pay me." He shifted her weight, making sure she was secure, and then set off down the sidewalk.

"That makes no sense," Annabeth said. "How am I supposed to get money when I'm a _hostage?"_

"Hey, you're the one who fell for it. Don't blame me."

"You're a jerkface," she grumbled.

"I've been told that by many people," Percy said, "but I've never believed them. If I'm a jerkface, then why do I have a pretty blond hanging on both arms?"

"First," Annabeth said, "maybe it was because you _kidnapped _her. And second—I'll admit, that comment was pretty clever.

They passed the tree line and were once again surrounded by buildings. Pedestrians began staring at them. Percy waved cheerfully. "Don't mind us!" he said. "My girlfriend doesn't want to get her shoes dirty. "Don't worry, honey!" he added loudly. "I'll save your poor shoes!"

"What a nice young man," an elderly woman said to her two companions, who were knitting a pair of socks on a bench. "Such chivalry."

Annabeth scowled. "He's not chivalrous, he's annoying!"

The elderly woman merely smiled. "Hold on to that one, dearie," she said, pointing a long finger at her. "He is significant."

"Hear that, Annabeth?" Percy said after they passed the bench. "I'm _significant_."

"A significant annoyance," she huffed. Her neck hurt from keeping her head up, so she let it fall down. "Asshole," she muttered. She didn't mention that she was the tiniest bit grateful for the break from walking (which he probably knew). There was no need to inflate his ego even more.

Across the street, something caught her eye. A sparky shoe.

Her head shot up so fast, she cracked every joint in her neck. She just caught sight of a red ponytail before it whipped around the corner.

Percy paused. "You okay?"

"There was a—I thought I saw—" She shook her head. What had she seen? A sparkly shoe and a redhead? There were plenty of sparkly shoes in New York City. Plenty of redheads. It didn't mean anything.

It didn't mean they were being followed by the Maenads.

"Nothing," she said. "It was nothing."

"You sure?" he checked.

She was just being paranoid. There was no need to ruin a perfectly good afternoon. "Yeah," she said. Then, to appear more confident, "Now giddy-up! We don't have all day."

"Sheesh," he said, grunting as he shifted her weight again. "Maybe I should nickname you 'Privileged Princess."

"Oh please," she said. "I'm not a princess: I'm a queen."

Percy laughed. "All right, m'Lady. Let's—" he paused.

"What?"

"Uh…"

Annabeth looked up. To the side. To the other side. Nothing.

Then she looked down.

A little girl stood in front of them. She was about four, with big brown eyes, curly dark hair, and a piece of paper clutched to her chest. "Are you Percy Jackson?" she asked. Her voice quivered slightly.

"Uh...yeah." Percy said slowly.

The girl looked up at him. "You're taller in real life. Is that why you're carrying her? Because your legs are longer?"

Percy hid a smile. "Sure," he said. "Hey, can you tell me where your parents are?"

The girl plopped, resting her chin in her hands. "I dunno. I haven't seen them in a while."

Annabeth and Percy exchanged a nervous look. A four year old wandering around New York City was never a good thing.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," the girl said. "But I've watched your videos, so you're not _technically _a stranger." She looked up, and Annabeth saw tears filling her brown eyes. "I don't know where I am."

Percy crouched down; Annabeth slid off his back, kneeling next to the girl. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked.

"Georgina," the girl said, sniffling. "It's like the state, but with an _I-N-A _at the end." She said it slowly, like she had practiced a long time to get it right.

"That's a cool name," Percy said. "You know who we are, right?"

Georgina nodded. "I already said your name, remember?" She pointed at Annabeth. "And you're his girlfriend. Anna."

"Close enough," Annabeth said.

"You were really mean in Target, but then you got nicer." She looked down at her piece of paper. "I made this at the library with my mommies. You can have it."

"The library?" Percy asked. "Is that where you were?"

"Yup." Georgina pressed the folded paper into Annabeth's hands. "It's for you."

"I can't," Annabeth said. "That's not—"

Georgina's eyes were filling with tears again. "I mean, thank you," Annabeth said quickly, and accepted the paper. "I love it."

"I drew it myself," Georgina said. She fiddled with her jacket zipper. "It's really cold."

Percy was scrolling through his phone. "The Hermes Library is the closest I can find. That might be what she's talking about."

"I'm hungry," Georgina said. "Do you have any food?"

"Do you like churros?" Percy asked, pointing to a food cart across the street.

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah!"

Percy chuckled. "All right, kiddo. I'll be right back." Leaning down, he whispered in Annabeth's ear, "Keep her entertained for a couple minutes. I'll call the library and see if they've reported a missing child." Then, phone and wallet in hand, he jogged toward the cart.

"No jaywalking!" Annabeth shouted after him.

He raised a hand and veered toward the crosswalk. Annabeth rolled her eyes and turned back to Georgina. "Sorry about that," she said. "He can be a bit clueless sometimes."

"Is he really your boyfriend?" Georgina asked, wiping her nose. "Do you love him?"

"That's what we said in the videos, isn't it?" she said evasively.

"That's not an answer," Georgina said reproachfully. "Do you love him or not?"

"I—" The words caught in her throat.

Why couldn't she say them? Earlier, she had no problem lying for the camera. No problem with throwing the phrase around like it was nothing. Because it _was _nothing. But now…

"Are you choking?" Georgina asked. "Your face is getting all weird."

"I'm fine," she managed to say. "I'm not—"

Georgina sniffled, then began to cry. "I want my mommies!"

"Shh, hey, it's okay," Annabeth said quickly. "Don't cry, please don't—oh god, I don't know what I'm doing."

Georgina only cried harder.

Yeah. She was great at entertaining kids. She'd been with one for thirty seconds, and the kid was already crying.

"I have an idea," Annabeth said wildly. "Do you like secrets? Can you keep a secret?"

Georgina wiped her sleeve across her face. "Y—yeah. One time at preschool, I kept a secret for a whole day."

Well, Annabeth thought, that would be more than enough. "What if I told you," she said carefully (anything to stop the crying), "that Percy and I were just pretending to be in love?"

Her wording was hypothetical, so she wasn't technically breaking the contract. At least, that's what she told herself. Slipping Georgina's paper into her back pocket, next to the valentine with their signatures, she sat down cross legged in front of the girl.

Georgina frowned. "Is that why you can't say you love him? Because you don't?

"What do you think?" Annabeth said. She glanced at the food cart, where Percy was in line, holding the phone to his ear. Just a few more minutes.

Georgina furrowed her brow. She picked at the blue strap of her shoe, which was already frayed and peeling. "Maybe you just don't know yet," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe you don't know if you love him, and that's why you can't say it." She looked up at Annabeth. "Maybe when you say it, you want it to be real.

Annabeth gaped at the girl.

Georgina smiled smugly, her tears forgotten. "I'm right, aren't I?"

No. She wasn't right. It was impossible—unimaginable—that she could be right. Annabeth had just met Percy! She was barely even friends with him, and this girl had the audacity to assume she was falling in love? It was ludicrous, crazy, ridiculous, completely out of the—

"Your face is getting weird again," Georgina said.

"Is it?" Annabeth muttered. "That's great."

"My birthday's tomorrow," Georgina said. "I'm almost five. Mom and Mama said I'm the smartest almost-five-year-old on the planet."

"That's...that's great," Annabeth managed to say, her head still spinning.

"Can you buy me a present?" she asked. "I like engineering books."

"I—"

"Good news!" Percy said. He jogged toward them, the churro in his hand steaming the air. "I called the library and—shit, what's wrong? You have that look on your face."

"Don't swear in front of kids," Annabeth said quickly. She turned away from him and busied herself with zipping up Georgina's coat.

"Oops," he said. He knelt down and handed the churro over. Georgina grabbed it and began eating with gusto.

"I called the library," Percy told Annabeth. "They said her parents reported her missing after Story Time, about three hours ago."

""I got bored," Georgina said. "I was trying to go home, but I got lost." She sniffled again.

Percy put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get you back," he said. "Don't worry." He turned to Annabeth. "I told them we're heading to the library. The librarians are trying to contact her parents, so hopefully they'll meet us there."

Annabeth nodded. She pushed Georgina's words away, filing them in the back of her mind. There would be time to ponder them later. "You ready, Georgina?"

The girl nodded. Annabeth offered her a hand; beside her, Percy did the said. Georgina thought fast. She crammed the churro into her mouth and latched onto both of their hands, letting them pull her up. "We're going to my mommies?" she asked, spewing crumbs.

"That's right," Percy said.

Her face lit up. Tear tracks still glistened on her cheeks, but her eyes were now happy. "Which way?"

"Straight ahead," Percy said.

Georgina tugged on their hands, pulling them forward. "Come on!" she said. "Hurry up!"

Smiling, Annabeth allowed the girl to drag her forward.

They walked several blocks that way, with Georgina between them, pulling them forward whenever they went to slow. Eventually she began to get tired. "Make me fly!" she said, tugging on their hands.

"Make you what?" Annabeth asked.

Percy glanced at her. "Have you never played with kids or something?"

Annabeth stuck out her tongue. "I'm hanging out with you, aren't I?"

"Come on," Georgina whined. "Make me fly!"

"All right," Percy said. "Annabeth, lift up on three. One, two, three!"

Annabeth followed his example, pulling Georgina up so her feet hovered six inches off the ground. Georgina laughed. "Swing me!" she said. "Swing me!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Percy said. He winked at Annabeth. "See how responsible I am?"

"That's the most conceited—_shit_!" Her foot skidded on a patch of ice. She teetered, one arm pinwheeling, and just managed to keep herself upright.

"_Annabeth_!" Percy said in mock outrage. "No swearing in front of the children!"

"Yeah, _Annabeth," _Georgina said, grinning up at her. "Now you have to put a dollar in my swear jar."

"I don't have any money!" Annabeth said. "Stop putting me in debt."

Georgina's eyes lit up. "There it is!" She pointed at the library, a tall stone building flanked with lion statues. She released their hands and ran to the steps. "Come on!" she said. "Hurry up, slowpokes!"

"Yeah, Annabeth," Percy said. "You're such a slowpoke."

"She's _your _child. You saw her first, you can raise her."

"She likes me best," he said. She opened her mouth to argue, but he ran after Georgina before she could. "First parenting rule: keep your child in sight!"

"I am not raising a random child with a celebrity I just met!"

"You can be the grumpy parent!" he called over his shoulder. "I'll be the fun one!"

"In love with you," Annabeth grumbled. "Ha!" Still muttering under her breath, she followed them inside.

* * *

After checking in with the librarian, they wandered over to a reading corner, complete with bean chairs, shelves of books, and a stack of blankets.

"This is more like it," Percy said. He grabbed several blankets, tossed one to her, and collapsed on a beanbag, the blanket over his head. "Wake me when they get here."

"Georgina?" a frantic voice called out. "Georgina, is that you?"

Georgina's face lit up. "Mama!"

Percy removed the blanket from his head. "That sounds promising."

And older woman rushed toward them. Her long brown hair was tangled and covered in snow; her jeans were splattered with mud. "Georgina!" she cried. She skidded into the corner, threw her arms around Georgina, and clung to her. "Jo, she's over here! Over here!"

Another woman—Jo—appeared. Her face filled with relief. "Oh, thank God." She strode forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter and wife.

Percy and Annabeth stood awkwardly to one side, watching the family reunion.

It was several minutes before the trio broke apart, their faces streaked with tears and lipstick. "Mama, Mom," Georgina said, "this is Annabeth and Percy. They're from the YouTube videos."

"Hi," Annabeth said. "We—"

Jo pulled her and Percy into a tight hug, cutting off her words. "Thank you," Jo whispered fiercely. "Thank you so much."

Annabeth blinked rapidly. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her like this—like a mother would. "It was nothing," she choked.

Jo released them. The other woman stepped forward, tears of gratitude sparkling in her eyes. "Here," she said, and held out a crumpled twenty dollar bill.

Annabeth shook her head. "We can't take that," she said. "Really, it was noth—"

The woman pressed the bill into her hand. "Take it," she said. "It's the least we can do."

Georgina grinned up at them. "It's a Valentine's Day present!"

Percy laughed. "Thanks, kiddo." He ruffled her hair, and she giggled. "See you around."

"Bye!" She waved happily as her parents led her away. "I'm gonna be so popular!" she told her parents as they opened the door. "The kids are gonna be so jealous that I met Percy and Annabeth!"

The door closed, and then Georgina was gone.

Percy fell back on a bean chair. "Well, that was an adventure."

"You don't say." She stared at the twenty dollar bill, then at the boy across from her.

It had been so long since she felt included. Thalia and Luke tried their best, but things had never been the same since they got together. She had been left behind—literally, as they were warm and cozy in her apartment and she was on the streets.

But today, she was with a boy who—for reasons she couldn't explain—was making her smile and laugh and feel that sense of _belonging, _that rightness, that hadn't existed years.

(Which was ridiculous, she realized, because they were fake dating. That should have been the exact _opposite_ of belonging.)

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just...we should start another video. You know, to keep up appearances. Fake dating and all."

He looked slightly disappointed. "Oh. Right." He stood up and gave her a slight smile. "At least you can pay me back now, right?"

"Oh no," Annabeth said. She slipped the bill into her back pocket. "If being in debt means you carry me around New York City, then this money stays with me."

"That's cheating!" Percy exclaimed.

Annabeth smiled sweetly at him. "Come on," she said. "I wouldn't want to get my boots dirty."

"Asshole," he said, then groaned. "Fine. Hop on."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up, piggy-back style.

Before today, she would have scoffed at a piggy back ride, called it childish and immature. And now she was volunteering.

Georgina's words rose unsummoned.

_Maybe when you say it, you want it to be real._

"That's ridiculous," she said aloud.

Percy gave her a quizzical look.

"Nothing," she said quickly. She pointed at the door. "Now, forward!"

"You're a jerkface," Percy joked, slipping his arms under her knees to support her.

"I've been told that by many people," Annabeth said, "but I've never believed them. If I'm a jerkface, then why do I have a brunette between my legs?"

"We really need to stop plagiarising each other's jokes," Percy said defeatedly.

* * *

**Literally any professional editor: Don't make your novel too cheesy. **

**Me (pouring fondue over my keyboard): Just you effing try and stop me. **

**DaughterOfIris23: **_**Oh my gods thank you. I literally squealed when you said I was a good writer. And don't worry; I've read some of your stories—girl, you've got talent as a writer! You should give yourself more credit. :)**_

**Voldinette: **_**I'm glad it's the good kind of cheese lol, because this last chapter was a mixture of words stirred into fondue. XD (And thank you for the compliment! It really means a lot.)**_

**Rexsnippercabeth: **_**What have I done to deserve such a nice reader/reviewer? Thank you so much; I'm so glad you think it's awesome. :)**_

**Abby: **_**Aw, thanks! I hope you liked the chapter—in all its flawed cheesiness lol. **_

**Understanding.s.s: **_**Thank you! :) Lol, it was only supposed to be ten thousand words at most, and now….well, I have ten thousand words down and even more coming. Oops…**_**.**

**Darkside princes: **_**Yay! I'm so happy you like it! Thank you for leaving a nice review—I love reading them. :)**_

**Guardian'sDragonOfDeath: **_**Thank yooooooou! (sorry, couldn't resist after reading the 'soooooo in your review. Gods, do I need a better sense of humor….) XD**_


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